Register.



'PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. N. D. NELSON.

REGISTER.

APPLICATION TILED APE. 9.190s.

rnvz NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsm/wwm u u UNITED STATES EATENT OFFICE.

NILS D. NELSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REGISTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NrLs D. NELSON, a subject of Great Britain, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in registers for measuring the fiow of gas, and it consists in the novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The register of my invention embraces a series of intermittently moving counterwheels arranged for ready and easy reading, and means for imparting to said wheels at the times for their successive movements to display in succession the numerals thereon, a quick predetermined motion whereby the numerals denoting the measure become at each action of the wheels fully exposed at the reading openings.

The object of my invention is to provide new and improved means for imparting to the counter-wheels their quick predetermined movements and thereby to improve the general efficiency of the register as a whole, my invention not being confined to any special number, arrangement or construction of the counter-wheels but residing in the means provided for causing said wheels to have accurate, quick, predetermined successive movements in the proper display of the numerals they bear.

I present my invention herein as embodied in a gas-meter, but do not confine the invention to its employment for measuring any special fluid, it being my purpose to claim the same for any and all uses to which it may be applied.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a register constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section partly broken away, of same on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 3 Fig. 3 is a top view of same; Fig. 4 is a detached view of a portion of the mechanism for imparting to the counter-wheels their quick predetermined movements, this mechanism being shown, in Fig. 4, in the condition it attains just prior to its action by which the counter- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1906.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Serial No. 310,643.

wheels are given their quick movement, this movement occurring instantly during and being effected by the horizontal sliding action of the slotted bar from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4; to that in which it is shown in Fig. 2, which may be considered as illustrating the initial condition of the register Fig. 5 is a detached vertical transverse section through a portion of the register on the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of a slotted bar forming a part of the mechanism for imparting quick definite movements to the counterwheels, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detached views of other parts of said mechanism.

In the drawings, 10, ll denote the front and back supporting plates for the register mechanism; 12 designates the primary shaft to be rotated by the gas or other fluid to be measured, 13 a pinion wheel rigid on said shaft, and 14 a hand on the front end of said shaft adapted to turn over the face of a dial 15 provided on the plate 10. With the flow of each two feet of gas the shaft 12 makes a rotation and causes the hand 14 to perform a complete circuit over the dial 15.

The pinion wheel 13 is in mesh with a gear wheel 16 secured on a shaft 17 upon which is a pinion wheel 18 (F 3) which is in mesh with a gear wheel 19 secured on a shaft 20, which through said gears 13, 16, 18 and 19, has movement imparted to it from the primary shaft 12.

Upon the outer end of the shaft 20 is preferably provided a hand 21 adapted to travel over the face of a dial 22 on the front plate 10 and denoting up to one hundred the feet of gas consumed, the hand 21 making one complete circuit over its dial 22 with every fifty rotations of the hand 14 over its dial 15. The dial 22 in the final reading of the register shows the fractional part of a hundred feet of gas consumed.

Upon the shaft 20 is secured a cam 23 whose outline is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and bar 26 is provided with a pin 28 projecting across the edge of the cam 23 and adapted to be acted upon by said cam during the rotation of the latter with the shaft 20. The

outer end of the bar 26 is pivotally secured to the upper end of the long arm of a bell-crank lever 29 which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 30 and has its short arm 31 in engagement with a leaf spring 32, which is flexed against said arm 31 and tends to throw the longer arm of the lever 29 and consequently the slotted bar 26 outwardly toward the right, looking at Fig. 2. The action of the spring 32 retains the in 28 of the bar 26 5 pressed against the periphery of the cam 23. The cam 23 moves the bar 26 in one direction or until said bar has attained the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, and the bell-crank lever 29 operates, when the cam 23 by a slight further rotation from the position shown in Fig. 4 carries its abrupt cut-away portion or recess in line with the pin 28, to

. quickly move said bar 26 to the right or until it attains the position shown in Fig. 2, the

5 movement of the pin 28 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that represented in Fig. 2 being instantaneous, and the bar 26 during this movement being utilized for imparting its quick action to a disk 33 freely mounted upon the shaft 20 and adapted during the aforesaid movement to the right of the bar 26, to move independently of said shaft.

fiThe disk 33 has secured upon its rear face a pin 34 which enters a segmental slot 35 in the 35 gear wheel 19, against the face of which said disk is located, and the pin 34 and slot 35 permit the disk 33 to have a limited move- 'lment independently of the shaft 20 and wheel 19 at the moment the bar 26 is thrown to the right, but at other times the pin 34 by being in engagement with the right hand end of the slot 35 is compelled to rotate with the f2 gear wheel 19;

In Fig. 4 I illustrate by dotted lines the i 5 relation of the pin 34 and slot 35 during the rotation of the disk 33 and gear wheel 19 together. The disk 33 is to move independiently of the gearwheel 19 and to the extent permitted by the cam 23 during the sudden 5 movement of the bar 26 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that represented in Fig.

2, and to this end I provide the bar 26 with ".the upwardly turned ears 36 between which is formed a slot 37 to receive for a limited period during each rotation of the disk 33 a pin 38 carried thereby and adapted to enter the said slot 36 just at the time the project ifing portion of the cam 23 is passing from the pin 28 carried by the bar 26, so that when such portion of the cam has passed the pin 28 and the bell-crank lever 29 throws the bar 26 suddenly toward the right, the wall of T the slot 37 will by its engagement with the pin 38 effect a quick rotation of the disk 33 to the extent permitted by the movement of said bar. This sudden intermittent movement of the disk 33 I utilize for imparting motion to the main counter dial or wheel 25, and to this end I provide the disk 33 with a finger or arm 39 adapted during such rotation of said disk to enter one of the slots 40 in the Geneva gear 41 and impart an intermittent motion to said gear, the said finger or arm 39 entering the slot 40 of the Geneva gear 41 at a period just preceding that at which the projecting portion of the cam 23 I leaves the pin 28, so that during the sudden movement to the right of the bar 26 and the quick rotary movement of the disk 33, the said arm or finger 39 may impart a cor- 30 responding rapid or instantaneous rotary movement to the gear 41, causing the latter to rotate the shaft 42 and effecting the quick movement of the counter wheel or dial 25 so that one numeral thereon may be sudg5 denly removed from the reading opening in the plate 10 and the next numeral caused to fully appear at said opening. The disk 33 rides against the Geneva gear 41 in a well known manner to form a lock by which said gear is held stationary except at such time as the finger or arm 39 engages and moves to a predetermined extent the same. This invention is not limited to any special character of counter wheels or means for imparting motion through the train of same, but

in the present instance I utilize the gear 41 as the'prime mover and mount on its shaft 42 a disk 43 having a finger 44 to engage a Geneva gear 45 on the shaft 46 carrying the counter wheel or dial 47 and also a disk 48 adapted to engage and rotate a Geneva ear 49 mounted on a shaft 50 carrying a al counter-wheel or dial 51. As many counter wheels or dials as may be preferred may be made use of and they carry from one to another in a familiar manner.

My present invention resides in the means provided for imparting the quick movement to the first counter-wheel or dial 25 and it is immaterial to my invention how many additional counter wheels or dials may be employed or what the construction and arrangement thereof may be. The Geneva movements comprising a Geneva gear and locking disk of the character disclosed in this application have long been familiar to mechanics and not separately claimed herein.

The operation of the features constitutin my invention will be largely understood 120 from the foregoing description without further detailed explanation. It may be said however that Fig. 2 shows the' initial condition of the mechanism, and starting from this point and presuming that gas is being consumed and that the shaft 12 is in motion and communicating its motion through the train of gears to the shaft 20, the latter will cause the cam 23 to rotate and carry its gradually expanding peripheral edge against the pin 28 of the slotted bar 26, causing the latter to gradually slide inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, the inward movement of the bar 26 having no effect upon the disk 33 but so locating the slot 37 formed in a part of said bar that the pin 38 on said disk may when the bar is in the position shown in Fig. 4 enter said slot. As soon as the projecting portion of the cam 23 leaves the pin 28 the bell-crank lever 29 quickly throws said bar 26 outwardly toward the right, to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the said pin 38 having entered the slot 37, the said bar 26 will during this sudden movement to the right act through said pin to impart a sudden limited rotary movement to the disk 33, whereby the finger or arm 39 on said disk is enabled to effect a limited sudden rotary movement in the Geneva gear 41 and first counter-wheel or dial 25, the parts being then back to their initial position. The operation just described occurs with each rotation of the shaft 20. After the parts have been restored to their initial position shown in Fig. 2 and the gear Wheel 19 continued in rotation, the end of the slot 35 will soon again engage the pin 34 and compel the disk 33 to follow the said gear wheel, and the pin 38 will ride up out of the slot 37 in the bar 26 and will not again enter said slot 37 until the bar 26 has moved inwardly to place said slot in position to receive said pin, as shown in Fig. 4. The pin 34 and slot 35 permit the disk 33 to have its sudden limited movement independently ofthe gear wheel 19 under the action of the bar 26, but at other times said disk is com elled to rotate with said gear wheeldue to t e engagement of the pin 34 with the end of the slot 35. v

I have designated the part 33 as a disk and said part will be of disk form when it is directly used as the locking element for the Geneva gear41, so that its smooth edge may ride on the concave edge surfaces of said gear and the use of a separate disk for this purpose avoided, but obviously said part 33 need not be of disk form in respect of the duties to be performed by its pins 34, 38 and finger 39 and therefore I do not confine the invention to the outline shown of the part 33.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a measuring register, a rotary dial, a shaft carrying said dial, a Geneva gear on said shaft for imparting rotary intermittent movements to the same, and a driving mechanism therefor to be operated by the fluid measured and comprising a cam, a bar to be moved in one direction by said cam, means for quickly moving said bar in the reverse direction when it is released by said cam, and a disk having a finger to pass into engagement with sa d gear and a pinto be engaged by said bar after it has performed its primary movement in one direction, whereby said bar on its quick reverse movement is enabled to impart a quick movement to said disk and through it to said gear and dial; substantially as set forth.

7 Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this 7th day of April A. D. 1906.

NILS D. NELSON. 

